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Glen Iris Lake Golf Course
Established as “The Lakes” Golf Course in 1965 by Bill Wilson who purchased the land, it became the Glen Iris Golf Course Estate during the mid-1990s when Mr Wilson (The Lakes Holdings Pty Ltd and Laurene Developments Pty Ltd) created a “world class 18-hole golf course with an integrated residential development”.
Located 18kms from the Perth GPO, Prodev Corporation Pty Ltd were appointed to “oversee and co-ordinate the development of the Lakes Golf Course Estate”.
Despite being a publicly open golf course with no membership required, recent years leading up to its closure saw a steady decline in the number of golfers playing the course.
01 - October 2020
Closure
The Glen Iris Lake Golf Course, set on 54.9 hectares, permanently closed at the end of March 2020 after being sold to Eastcourt Property Group by the heirs of Mr Wilson’s estate in the same month. A leaflet dropped into the mailbox of Glen Iris residents, told of the golf course’s closure and for a number of locals, they had moved to the area specifically to use the golf course.
The Jandakot Residents and Ratepayers Association led the movement to advocate for the return of the golf course to the community, with prominent lawyer John Hammond working with the association and local residents.
Wildlife
In April 2020 and before a change of rezoning had been granted, Acument Development Solutions began puncturing the liners of the artificial lakes to drain them and switch off the irrigation. Before long, the lush green golf course became brittle brown. With the creation of the artificial lakes, came a healthy population of quendas (small marsupial) and black cockatoos but without a water supply, they were left to suffer.
Ducks were also severely affected, many with young babies who were yet to fly and as a result, unable to obtain an alternative source of water (and escape potential predators). Workers from Eastcourt who were draining two of the seven lakes in order to relocate koi fish and snake-necked turtles, stated that the remaining lakes would slowly be drained in order to give nestlings time to learn to fly. The bores had been turned off by that point.
Black cockatoos increasingly began drinking from the gutters of local homes and quendas drank from containers left out by residents in their backyard. A number of quendas reportedly drowned in backyard pools, although some were thankfully rescued in time.
For neighbouring residents, the lack of water plagued the entire area with dust to the point they were unable to open their windows or eat outside.
02 - January 2025
Concept Plan
Acumen Development Solutions, who were the Project Manager for Eastcourt, delivered a Concept Plan to the residents of Glen Iris. This was followed with a Community Engagement Report.
Despite a 10,000-signature petition opposing the housing redevelopment and Cockburn councillors voting 9-1 against the rezoning proposal, Planning Minister Rita Saffioti provided her support for the redevelopment. This was followed with the Western Australian Planning Commission approving the development proposal in September 2023, which incorporated sites reserved for public open space.
After consideration from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of which the proposed redevelopment did not warrant environmental protection assessment, they identified two areas “of foraging habitat within the amendment area for Carnarby’s black cockatoo and forest red-tailed black cockatoo” (p.4). They recommended areas of vegetation containing the black cockatoo populations to be set aside in public open space and to plant species that fostered their survival, particularly against the negative impacts that could arise from the development.
Current Update
Subdivided for 600 new homes in the vicinity of Cockburn, Success and Murdoch, blocks of land range from 263m² ($376,000) to 748m² ($850,000) at the new Glen Iris Estate.
The final version of the structure plan for the Glen Iris Estate was released in September 2024. It was approved by resolution of a number of modifications by the Western Australia Planning Commission.
The "underutilised vacant land" encompasses a total of approximately 130 hectares, in which some 500 mature trees will be retained.
